For Them
We are currently seeing significant changes in the fire service. We are revisiting the true meaning of our oaths and our drive to serve others. This is an incredible second coming of the fire service that I believe has been long overdue.
Early in my career, there was an intense focus on firefighter safety. I frankly never understood the high priority on firefighter safety. As a young firefighter, I felt like it was our duty to take risks for the public and that sometimes we may take extreme risks. Maybe this was a product of all the Hollywood movies and TV shows back then, but I felt like we weren’t doing enough.
Don’t get me wrong; some departments have never had that “me first/safety first” mantra. I think it goes without saying that the heroic acts of the Fire Department of New York on 9/11, where 343 firefighters went into the towers without due regard for their safety, demonstrated the highest level of sacrifice. I honestly believe that some of them knew on their way up that they weren’t coming home. By no means am I taking away from the thousands and thousands of rescues that firefighters have made over the years and since 9/11. I just feel like not long after 9/11, we got stuck in a rut of firefighter safety having the highest priority and we were forgetting why we were in the service.
Not long ago, I started to see the search culture begin. I joined my local F.O.O.L.S. organization and I was invigorated, to say the least. The organization consists of firefighters who are extremely passionate about the job and thrive for training to save others. The F.O.O.L.S. organization also gives back and trains other departments on many skills and tactics that focus on saving civilians and rescuing down firefighters. Joining this group inspired me to do more, train more, and get better every day at the craft. This chapter opened my eyes and reminded me why we are firefighters, why we exist, and what we are here to do (our purpose).
I recently listened to a podcast that had Danny Dwyer, a former fire captain, as a guest. In 2019, Dwyer arrived on the scene of a working fire on his tiller ladder truck and assessed the situation. From what was described on the podcast, the home looked as if no one could possibly have survived. He was already dressed in his personal protective equipment and ready, but his two drivers were not due to their driving responsibilities of the large tractor-drawn aerial.
Immediately, Dwyer went in with another crew and located a 94-year-old woman. Without any regard for his own safety, he rescued her. He dragged her out onto the front porch. While on the porch, a flashover occurred, and Dwyer used his body to cover her and protect her from the flames. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead not long after.
After this incredibly heroic act, Dwyer did not receive an award, accolades, or even an “atta boy” from the department. In a short time, he was suspended without pay. The charges had to do with him not waiting for his crew and going in alone—freelancing, as we call it in the fire service. Social media and the national news got a hold of the story and made the situation unbearable for Dwyer, causing him to resign about 10 months later. He took a position with a smaller suburban department.
Dwyer’s story hit home for me. My personal feeling is that he did the right thing. He did what we, as firefighters, are supposed to do. He risked his life to save another. He took an extreme risk. This is what the oath we took is all about: “To save lives and property.”
My department recently implemented a procedure for performing an emergency rescue that outlined specific guidelines as to when we can enter a structure without a rapid intervention team (RIT) or backup team on scene.
Emergency rescue is permitted when there is a known victim or there is an extremely high likelihood that victims are present. The following criteria may dictate the need for emergency rescue operations:
- Time of day.
- Type of occupancy/structure.
- Statements from bystanders.
- Visual evaluation and confirmation of a known rescue.
- Audible sounds of distress.
- Dispatcher information.
This type of procedure or policy, coupled with an aggressive search culture, is what we need in the fire service. We not only need to train all the time for moments like these but we need to have a policy in place to drive that training.
What would you do in that same situation? Would you wait? Would you go in and trust your training? Has your training prepared you for this situation? Is your training adequately preparing you to search and find victims? The questions are endless.
At a recent conference, one of the presenters made a statement about 30 for 30, meaning we train 30 years for the 30 seconds it takes to rescue a victim. How do we do that? I am not suggesting we all go “cowboy” and just start doing what we want. The fire service is a paramilitary organization for a reason, but we can shift our training. We can attend conferences and presentations and participate in training that focuses on search, vent-enter-search, RIT, and firefighter survival.
There is an immense amount of information and case studies available on this type of training. The Firefighter Rescue Survey has data on rescues all over the United States. There are currently 3,000 rescues on the site with data including where victims were found, who found the victims, how long into the incident they were found, and more. Reviewing the data can help your department with the framework to build training regarding aggressive search.
If you aren’t training already for search and rescue, I challenge you to start. Make the change in your department. Embrace the search culture. Embrace the service mindset. Be a servant leader. Train harder. Work out harder. Educate yourself. It is up to us to be ready. Expect fire. Expect rescue. Search aggressively.
We are here to provide hope. It doesn’t matter if you are a volunteer or a career firefighter. The public expects us to show up and rescue. They expect us to be fast, fit, and masters of our craft.
We get called when no one else will go in. We are expected to find opportunities where no one else will. We owe it to the public that we are sworn to protect. We have to push ourselves beyond comfort and get past fear.
Some of us may make rescues, some of us may not. Some of us may not come home due to the risk we take to make those rescues. Are you physically and mentally prepared to take those risks? Never forget, we are here for Them.
Bryan Keup
Lieutenant
Waukesha (WI) Fire Department
The Hardest Position in the Firehouse: A Letter from a Barn Boss
Throughout firehouse history, the barn boss is one who takes charge in the absence of the officer and is the “go-to” member when new firefighters need help going over hose loads, daily chores, or learning the routine. Throughout my continuous tenure, I’ve learned the role “barn boss” is one of the hardest roles a firefighter can consistently and successfully fill. Being an efficient barn boss will earn you nothing extra in pay, vacation, or rank. However, you will earn the personal satisfaction of knowing you genuinely care about the men and women beside you, the department, and its mission. This will earn you something far greater than rank. It will earn you respect. While there might be 100 different ways to achieve this, I’d like to tell you what works best for me and my shift.
First, check your ego at the door. Remember, just because you’re the senior member doesn’t mean you know everything, and if you do think you know everything, it simply means you’re hardheaded and no one is going to talk to you. Presenting yourself as someone who is approachable, with a level head, is important. Attitude reflects leadership. Having the right kind of attitude makes all the difference. Good barn bosses will accept when they are wrong and will always strive to learn from mistakes. However, great barn bosses will listen with unbiased ears and look for opportunities for positive, proactive outcomes for everyone.
If you’ve been on the job for any amount of time, you have heard the question, “When do we start our size-up?” I might start a day or two before the shift. I check the roster to see who will be on shift. I might check to see what the weather will be like and if we will we have opportunities to train and, if so, what training would be the most beneficial.
My barn boss size-up includes all that and more. The night before includes checking our staffing and seeing what different experience levels we will be working with. This tells me what training we can set up for the day or whether we should be grooming newer employees for basic firefighting skills. As I prepare myself for the shift, I listen to motivational or upbeat music that mentally drives my mindset into a high-paced mood.
Second, perform the “secondary size-up” at morning roll call. This is when you get your first glance at the men and women beside you and how they’re doing that day. When you ask how they’re doing and they know you are genuine, it takes no effort for you and sometimes means everything to them. Ask, is their mind truly on the mission or are they having problems at home and need some time to themselves? It also shows you care about each person you work with and you’re not just there for the paycheck. This also helps the barn boss develop those fundamental skills of building trust in coworkers, which should be a requirement for any future officer.
Being a successful barn boss is very hard and doesn’t stop after morning roll call. You should be the buffer between the lieutenant and the troops. Assist with running training and drills, holding the troops accountable in daily/weekly chores while still helping (leading by example). Not only does this help the officer run the shift, but it also helps the barn boss become a leader by learning others’ capabilities and personalities, and it helps further prepare you to be a successful lieutenant.
As a barn boss, I make it a point to have a “black hat” meeting quarterly and each time we have a new employee. This gives us time to reinforce that we’re all on the same page, set our expectations, and talk about anything for the betterment of our shift. Having these informal meetings lets personnel know they are heard and what they can be doing better for the team.
Finally, open and tough communication is what makes an efficient barn boss. We can all go through the motions of working day to day, but if you don’t have those tough talks about meeting expectations, enforcing the officer’s plan, and helping the new members get in the groove, then you’re just another average firefighter. We should all strive to learn at least one thing a day and always accept feedback. The day I stop learning is the day I will retire.
OIC John Najdzion
Firefighter/Paramedic
Batavia (IL) Fire Department
